The Resourceful Crafter

Menu

“Map” Backpack

I bought this “map” fabric in Amsterdam a while back and for a long time didn’t really know what to do with it, thinking it might perhaps make a nice tablecloth if we moved to a place with a proper dining table one day… Then as our Greece holiday was approaching last autumn, I realized I didn’t own a reasonably sized “holiday bag” that I could take with me. My everyday shopper handbag reminds me too much of work and I wanted something fun and special, but also practical, to take on our trip. A medium-sized backpack came to mind. I had recently seen many “vintage” style backpack around, and since they are often made of cotton, thought it wouldn’t be too hard to make my own! Thinking of holidays and travel, I remembered the map fabric and… voilà! I started browsing the web for “make your own backpack” patterns and quickly came across this one, which I can recommend highly.

I almost never follow patterns 100% and also slightly changed this one. I left out the leather trimming, used a different type of buckle for the main fastening and changed the front pocket – mine has a zipper… and is exactly large enough to fit a Lonely Planet.

A major challenge I faced was where to buy all the metal rings and buckles needed for the bag’s strap and fastenings. Thankfully there are several specialist shops in London (I plan to review them in the Places section on this blog soon, so watch this space) and, although it took some time and research, I managed to find everything I needed. Attaching the metal pieces went smoothly for the most part. I only had trouble with the metal grommets and ended up staying late the day before our departure hammering them onto the fabric (sorry, neighbours!). The bag was finished just in time and came in very handy on our hikes in Greece! I think it will become an important companion on summer holidays, and perhaps – as many have suggested – I will start marking all the places it visits with little stitches on the “map”!